ToxicNecrochris's page

I was shocked that none of the people with early access to the ACG mentioned the Skirmisher tricks. This vastly increases the power and utility of the hunter's animal companion. It seems to be unlimited use per day, but even if that ends up not being the case, this is still a pretty powerful boost to the previously subpar hunter class. With outflank and aiding attack that is a solid +6 to hit at low levels. A mid level Hunter can start to utilize paired opportunist and outflank/broken wing gambit to rack up AoOs, and many of the animal companions skirmisher tricks are free actions, meaning (per GM discretion for free actions) you could stack on some nasty side effects. The hunter was originally billed as an archer with a pet, but I think the final changes put this class into the melee powerhouse category. The downsides I can see are of course the 3/4 BAB limiting access to good combat feats, and the 3/4 casting is pretty useless for summon natures ally, even though they get that spell for free. I think at higher levels the hunter will suffer due to these limitations, but at low to mid levels I think it is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Can't wait until finals are over to actually try one out and see if I'm right.

Here's a heads-up on some hunter changes I'll be implementing:

* Instead of precise companion, just give Precise Shot as a bonus feat. Create alternative option for melee-focused hunters (who have no need for Precise Shot).

* Add an animal focus that grants evasion.

* Snake focus should be a typeless attack bonus.

* Strongly considering 6 skill ranks.

* Add way for hunter to revive dead animal companion at lower levels. Give hunter a bonus to compensate for dead animal companion (such as applying the no-duration animal focus to the hunter instead of the companion).

* Considering upgrades to the link to the companion, such as the "see through its eyes" ability that the beastmaster ranger archetype has, and something like the expert trainer ability that the cavalier has.

* I want it to have access to the druid and ranger spell lists.

* Still haven't decided whether hunters should be prepared or spontaneous casters. Making it spontaneous would certainly make the class stand out from the druid and ranger.

I'm a big fan of the 6 skill ranks. The hunter needs handle animal for her core class function, plus if she actually wants to hunt anything she's gonna need knowledge nature to know what she's hunting, survival to track what she is hunting, and perception to spot it. That right there is your 4 points, and it doesn't into account moving about the environment (stealth, swim, climb). I also always like to take knowledge:geography with my Rangers (it rarely comes up in games but i think it is thematic), but I couldn't figure out how to fit it into my test hunter's build. 6+ skill ranks is a big win for this class.

I know I'm a bit late to the conversation, but I would like to voice my opinion that the Hunter should NOT be a spontaneous caster. Yes, it is different, but different doesn't mean thematic nor does it mean good. It seems that the biggest complaints about this class are a lack of competitiveness, and spontaneous casting only exacerbates that. Having access to the entire druid (and maybe even ranger) list is a huge benefit mechanically. In addition, most of the spells I would see people using are not spells that need to be repeated throughout the day. Some spells (like barkskin) are going to be needed everyday and sometimes multiple times per day - that's ok, just prep 2 or 3. But versatility is a huge boon that shouldn't be overlooked. If you are planning on exploring a dungeon with a tight corridor system, it might be a good idea to prep reduce animal. If you are planning on exploring a dense forest instead, you would want that second level slot for something like wilderness soldiers. Spontaneous casting would be a burden to this class, and not in line with the theme of a cautions, calculated hunter.

tl;dr YES on 6+ skill ranks, NO on spontaneous casting

I find Toughness to be useful for characters that are MAD and spend time in melee combat. Examples being a ranger, monk, or cleric. If you can spare the feat, then you can keep your con 2 points lower, which frees up some points for other stats.

A couple of months back, my kingmaker ranger died by 1 hp. At that moment I was really wishing I had taken toughness instead of quickdraw.

I had a 3.5 GM who refused to use a grid. I finally quit his game after my rogue was attacked and killed by 7 Drow, whom he described as being "near" the party. I asked if I could move to flank with the barbarian, and he told me yes, so I did. The next round I took attacks from all 7 drow. My argument's logic of "why on earth would my lightly armored rogue put himself in melee attack range of 7 drow to get ONE sneak attack" was completely lost on him. He felt he had described the situation well enough that I ought to have known the risk. I told him I was done, and he can find a new player. It ended up being a lot of unnecessary drama because this guy was too lazy to put in the effort of marking locations on a grid.

A sorc/witch/wizard slinging spells while hiding behind mirror image, black tentacles, and an armored meat shield is not cowardly, its smart. It's like when I am at a bar running my mouth, but my bigger, more violent, ex-military bouncer friends are there to keep anyone from getting close to me. I'm not a coward, I'm just small, and smart.

Name: Jerrod
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 3
Adventure: Stolen Lands
Location: Stag Lord's Keep
Catalyst: A brief moment of heroics in an otherwise aloof character
The Gory Details:
Jerrod wasn't always a team player. Throughout most of the exploration of the Stolen Lands he preferred to stand back and shoot his enemies, vexed by the fighter Joran's uncanny ability of getting in the way, and the monk Lumos' habit of preaching non-violence whenever possible. He was irked by the Evoker Aang, who was constantly whining about how we shouldn't eat animals, and he found the Ken the Cleirc's vanity to be annoying at best. Jerrod’s creative tactics, such as stabbing a sleeping kobold and then following its trail of blood back to their hideout, were universally shot down. Often it seemed his only friend in the Stolen Lands was his hunting dog Jayne. Still, as time went on, Jerrod found his place among this group of misfits, eventually connecting with the fighter Jorran, having realized they grew up only a few miles from one another. Jorran's love of fishing mirrored Jerrod's thrill of the hunt, and together the two started taking trophies from fallen enemies: several wolf pelts, boar tusk's, and even an owlbear's coat, all the while laughing at the vegetarian elf's opposition to such gruesome displays. It was this bond that would eventually lead to Jerrod's death.

After the Cleric had failed to convince the bandits at the Stag Lord's camp that we were merely merchants coming to sell alcohol, all hell broke loose. Jerrod stayed back from the thick of fighting, as was his usual style, taking out the bow wielding guards with ease. As the last tower guard fell, Jerrod saw his comrade Joran being torn to shreds by Beaky the owl bear. Popping a potion of enlarge person and running in with his guisarme, Jerrod managed to fell the owlbear with a single swing. As Beaky collapsed into a pile of feathers, the menacing Stag Lord appeared from the shadows behind him. One shot from his bow dropped Joran to his knees. Jerrod knew that Joran would not survive another hit and placed himself in between the stag lord and his staggered comrade. Joran called to the cleric for help, who with the monk was preventing the pansy rogue from frolicking into a flanking position. The stag lord released another arrow, this time at Jerrod, who managed to just barely survive the hit. Jerrod rushed the stag lord, hoping to trip him and prevent him from using his bow. Unfortunately Jerrod’s trip attempt failed, as the stag lord's sickly appearance belied his quickness. The cleric ran up to help, calling upon his deity Cayden Cailean to channel positive energy. Instead of a brilliant flash of righteous light that usually accompanied such an act, the pewter mug serving as a holy symbol merely sparked and sputtered as the cleric rolled snake eyes in his heal attempt. The stag lord took one last shot on the injured ranger Jerrod, and the final arrow pierced through his chest. Jerrod was dead before his body even slumped to the ground.